Attaching or fastening rigidized surface insulation to a spacecraft such as an orbiter shuttle vehicle presents a number of problems. The technique presently in use provides for bonding of the insulation to a rigid strain arrestor plate which, in turn, is bonded to a strain isolator pad, the pad being bonded directly to the skin structure of the spacecraft. This technique suffers serious disadvantages. For example, the strain induced in adjacent components must be compatible in order for the insulation to remain in place. However, with the technique outlined above, large compatability stresses are induced in the various components due to thermally and mechanically induced strains. Further, the orbiter skin cannot be allowed to buckle since transverse stresses would be induced in the rigidized surface insulation tending to cause separation, and this is a problem with the technique in question. In addition, this technique requires that the external fastener heads be flush with the outer surface of the skin. The foregoing problems dictate a relatively heavy design thereby adding to the overall weight. Yet another problem concerns the use of bonding as a means of attaching the insulation since such bonding degrades the overall system reliability.